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Perfume Pagoda Festival to wow visitors in 2014

The Hanoitimes – Organisers of the country’s longest festival, the Huong (Perfume) Pagoda Festival, expect to reap the benefits of recent improvements made to appeal to more tourists.

Starting on the sixth day of the lunar January month, which falls on February 5, the Perfume Pagoda Festival is celebrated for three months, from the first to third lunar month of each year.

According to the head of the festival’s organisation board, Nguyen Van Hau, prices for sightseeing tickets (VND50,000 – US$2.2) and boat tickets (VND35,000) will remain the same, while tickets for the cable car ticket will increase from VND120,000 to VND140,000 (one way).

Instead of stop-over at the Giai Oan Temple, the cable car route will run directly to the main Huong Tich Pagoda.

Other changes include paper tickets being replaced with swipe cards and a new 19-entry toll booth.

Around 5,000 boats have been granted licences to operate on the Yen Stream, in addition to 14 large-scale restaurants able to serve up to 60,000 people, have also been established.

A joint force of policemen and local security staff will be on hand to manage traffic conditions and bolster security efforts at the festival, frequented by pickpockets and scammers.

In addition to the three current entrances, the organisation board has added a new entrance on Hang Vo street to help visitors access the site.

The My Duc District authorities where the Huong Pagoda is located, have also deployed around VND11 billion (US$520,000) to rebuild the current Hoi Xa entrance.

Deputy chairman of the My Duc District People’s Committee, Hau, said while they acknowledged public concern with the trading of wild animal meat within the site in recent years, it was difficult to eliminate the problem.

“It is due to the demand of visitors, who are vegetarians or Buddhists. However, that is not the meat from wild animal living in nature. Most of these animals come from the farms in neighbouring areas,” the authority said.

To boost food hygiene standards during the festival, all restaurants have been asked to display food in glass cabinets as well as standard counter fridges to store food. In addition, restaurant operators are prohibited from hanging animal meat in front of restaurants.

The Perfume Pagoda festival is considered the greatest Buddhist festival in the North of Vietnam, playing an important role in the spiritual life of Vietnamese people and Vietnamese Buddhists in particular.

The festival takes place in Perfume Pagoda in Huong Son Commune, My Duc District, about 70 km from centre of Hanoi to the south. The three-month-long festival will welcome hundreds of thousands visitors.
By Tuan Minh

Many projects on infrastructure have been implemented This year, the functional bodies and authorities of northern Ha Tay province have been carrying out a large number of projects with total investment of dozens of million of Vietnam Dong (VND) to build, upgrade and expand the Huong Pagoda relic site and its surrounding areas in a bid to ease traffic congestion which has occurred in previous years. Huong Pagoda itself contributed VND3 billion to expanding the session from Yen pier to Thien Tru pagoda. The session has three lanes, including one for people with disabilities. The authorities of Huong Son commune have expanded Thien Tru pagoda’s ground by nearly 20m. A project to build a guesthouse and museum worth thousands of millions of Vietnam Dong is expected to be completed before the traditional Lunar New Year Festival (Tet) to welcome visitors to Huong Pagoda. In particular, the session from Thien Tru pagoda to the suspending cable station No.1 has been widened by 7m to prevent traffic jams. The session from the suspending cable station No.3 to Quan Am Kieu bridge near Huong Tich cave has also been upgraded. Apart from developing infrastructure at the relic site, functional bodies and provincial authorities are actively dredging Yen stream, upgrading the pathways to Long Van, Tuyet Son and Yen pier, as well as planting green trees along Yen pier. Zoning plan on service system In previous years, many shops and service suppliers mushroomed in Thien Tru’s surrounding areas and along the pathway to Huong…... [read more]

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VietNamNet Bridge - The Huong or Perfume Pagoda in Hanoi is an autumn venue for photographers because of the lily blooming season on the Yen stream. Around 60 kilometers southwest of Hanoi, Perfume Pagoda is one among the largest religious sites in Vietnam. It comprises a complex of pagodas and Buddhist shrines built into the limestone cliffs of Perfume Mount, scattered alongside the mountain up to the peak. Huge numbers of pilgrims flock to the site during Perfume Pagoda festival, which begins in the middle of the first lunar month and lasts until the middle of the third one (or from February till March) in order to pray for happiness and prosperity in the coming year. On this special occasion, a wide range of traditional cultural activities is incorporated. Perfume pagoda is not only a religious site, but a great sight-seeing spot in Vietnam as well. In the autumn, this place also welcomes a lot of tourists and photographers who come here for the best photos. Let's see the beauty of lilies on the Yen stream in the autumn:... [read more]

VietNamNet Bridge – It’s that time of the year, again. Following the end of Tet, the first month of the year in Viet Nam is filled with numerous spring festivals and celebrations, many of which can trace their origins back to ancient times. They have helped to preserve Vietnamese cultural identity and historical value. Perfume Pagoda Festival — File photo Besides major festivals such as the Chua Huong (Perfume) Pagoda Festival, which have been elevated to become a part of tradition, there are also local festivals that are playing an important role in not only showcasing the unique cultural heritage of all Vietnamese communities, but also in maintaining spiritual links to their roots. However, a number of practices at local festivals have come under strong scrutiny in recent years. Notable cases are those at the pig sacrifice festival in Nem Thuong Village in the northern province of Bac Ninh and the Giong festival in Phu Dong Village on the outskirts of Ha Noi. Both were labelled as inappropriate and not suitable to modern social standards. The Nem Thuong festival was mainly criticised for one of its main acts that showed the slaughtering in public of two pigs. Hong Kong-based charity organisation Animal Asia Foundation (AAF) went so far as to describe the pig-slaughter scene as a “barbaric cruelty” in an attempt to mobilise public support to stop the festival in 2015. The sacrificial pigs were slaughtered out of public sight in this year’s festival, which took place last week, disappointing…... [read more]

Quang Ninh welcomes nearly 2 million visitors The northern province of Quang Ninh received nearly 2 million visitors in the first two months of the year, up three per cent from the same period last year with international visitor numbers increasing by 10 per cent, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Spiritual relics like Yen Tu Buddhist relic, Ba Vang Pagoda, Cua Ong Temple, and Cai Bau Pagoda attracted the most visitors, it said. The province's localities have organised art performances and sports and traditional games for visitors. The province reported that revenues from tourism in the period are estimated at more than VND1.2 trillion (US$53.7 million), a year-on year increase of 14 per cent. Boasting a 250km long coastline, Quang Ninh is famous for Ha Long Bay, one of the world's natural wonders. Tourists are also attracted by its many beautiful beaches like Bai Chay, Titop, Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ngoc Vung, and others. Acacia forests a big earner in Quang Nam Vo Van Vinh, a farmer in Dai Nghia Commune in the central Quang Nam Province's Dai Loc District, can earn VND400 million (US$18,000) from his 10ha farm of acacia every five years. It's quite a good income and easy for him and family in comparison to rice farming or raising livestock. Acacia farms have helped over 293 households in the commune earn a living and provided 40 per cent share of the annual budget. However, a five-year-old acacia harvest is only used as…... [read more]

(VOVworld) – Spring festivals are being held throughout Vietnam and localities are taking all necessary precautions to ensure security and order. Millions of pilgrims and tourists are attending spring festivals in Vietnam, the biggest of which are the Perfume Pagoda festival in Hanoi, the Yen Tu festival in Quang Ninh, the Hung Kings temple festival in Phu Tho, and the Tran temple festival in Nam Dinh. The Perfume Pagoda festival, the biggest and oldest festival in Vietnam, opened on February 13. Nguyen Van Hau, Vice-chairman of the My Duc district People’s Committee and the festival’s chief organizer, said measures are in place to ensure security and order: "Local residents are taught heritage, tourism, transport laws and appropriate behavior when dealing with tourists. We’ve also told them about food safety and hygiene. Monks and nuns at pagodas have also received training." Unlike in previous years, congestion at parking lots and disorder at cable car stations are no longer a problem at the Yen Tu festival in Quang Ninh thanks to good planning by local authorities and businesses. Le Trong Thanh, Deputy director of the Tung Lam development joint stock company, said: "We’ve opened a parking lot with catering services for tourists and pilgrims. Our electronic transportation system costs 50 cents per person." Pham Hong Van, a visitor from Hanoi, said: "The environment is much cleaner than in previous years. There are no eateries near the places of worship. The organization of this year’s festival is much better." Pham Xuan Phuc, Deputy…... [read more]

The Bell Tower in Bai Dinh pagoda (VOVworld) - The Bai Dinh Pagoda Festival opened in Ninh Binh province on February 13, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, with the participation of thousands of pilgrims. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc beat the ceremonial drum to open the festival, which will last throughout spring. Head monk of Bai Dinh pagoda, Most Venerable Thich Minh Quang said going to pagodas on first days of the new Lunar Year is a nice spiritual tradition of Vietnamese people to pray Buddha for a year full of happiness, peace, and favorable weather: "This year’s festival covers many festivities including a palanquin procession to the ancient pagoda, photo exhibitions, and sight-seeing tours for visitors to travel around the peach garden in the complex to contemplate the beautiful scenery here." Thousands of visitors flocked to the Perfume pagoda festival which also opened on Saturday, February 13th. The festival is expected to welcome more than 1.5 million visitors this year. The festival organizers have arranged 4000 boats for festival goers. An art performance was held in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday, or the fifth day of the lunar New year to mark the 227th anniversary of Ngoc Hoi – Dong Da victory over the Chinese Qing invaders. Nguyen Van Tho lives in HCM City: "This program is very interesting and of great importance to educate the younger generations of Vietnam’s tradition to protect national sovereignty against the invaders. It is expected to help the…... [read more]

The poetic beauty of Yen stream in autumn can melt the hearts of any photographer and tourist. This is the perfect place to go on a quiet autumn day in the outskirts of Hanoi. Yen stream is packed during springtime when hundreds of visitors travel here to enjoy the sacred atmosphere of the famous Perfume Pagoda festival. It is the only water way to reach Huong Pagoda. Tourists usually spend an hour on the stream before reaching Chua Huong. The stream itself is not too lengthy but is long enough to attract travelers. The stream curving around the majestic mountains creates a poetic scenery. In the fall, the stream attracts numerous photographers and visitors to observe its flavorful and romantic beauty. The Perfume Pagoda should not be missed. During autumn, Yen stream becomes more peaceful. There are no busy lines of boats or laughter and chatter heard in festival seasons. The stream is pure and quiet. Sometimes, a few off-season tourists come and enjoy themselves among the simple lives of the locals. From September to November, lilies on the surface look like a painting of Yen stream. Under the autumn sun, tourists can sit back in their boats and let themselves flow along the water. Get away from the sorrow and stress and feel the peace and simplicity of the Yen stream during autumn. Lilies usually blossom in the morning and retract when the sun goes down, which create a pink border on the sides of the stream. The flowers…... [read more]

Visitors to the 2015 Huong (Perfume) Pagoda festival in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism To Van Dong spoke to Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper about Hanoi being listed as one of TripAdvisor's top destinations. Q: What do you think about Hanoi being included in TripAdvisor's top-10 destinations list? A: Hanoi's spot in the top 10 Travellers' Choice Destinations 2015 is great for the tourism industry. This shows the true potential of the city, as well as efforts and achievements in the past. However, it also poses many difficulties and challenges because we need to maintain this title, and continuously contribute to strengthen trademarks and images of the peaceful, civilised, safe and friendly capital. Hanoi will try to effectively implement plans and projects to promote tourism. Q: What will the department do to solve tourists' problems, such as high taxi fees and pickpockets? A: This information is a specific case. The department has established customer support centres to provide tourism information and deal with tourists' problems. The centres have closely cooperated with relevant agencies to promptly handle the tourists' issues. In addition, the department has also strengthened information dissemination to raise awareness among vendors, taxi and cyclo drivers, and improve the quality of services. Q: What are the goals of Hanoi's tourism sector? A: Tourism development should be based on the available potential and advantages of the location. Hanoi, with great natural heritage, has a lot of tourism potential. Besides focusing on current strengths,…... [read more]

Hello and welcome to VOV’s Letter Box, our weekly feature dedicated to listeners throughout the world. We are Mai Phuong and Ngoc Huyen. A: First on our show today, we’d like to welcome 29-year old Yuki Kishibe of Japan to our program. Yuki Kishibe first listened to our broadcast on February 2 from 13:30 to 14:00 UTC on the frequency of 9840 khz. He rated SINPO at all 3s. B: Thank you Yuki Kishibe for tuning in to our broadcasts. We’ll send you a QSL card, a frequency list and a program schedule. We hope to hear from you again soon. A: This week, we received a number of letters from Roger Rousel of Canada. He reported listening to our broadcasts on February 4th, 10th, 16th, and 18th on the frequency of 6175 khz with SINPO rated at all 5s. Roger wrote: "I am always happy to listen to your very interesting and well prepared radio broadcasts. Keep up the great job. Receive from Canada my best regards". B: Roger Rousel, we highly appreciate your detailed reception reports. Your feedback is very useful to us. Thank you. A: Sending us a beautiful postcard with warm greetings, Joseph Mulvihill of Ireland wrote: "Greetings to you all at the Voice of Vietnam. Thank you all for the beautiful New Year card, pocket calendar 2015, and program guide. First of all, may I wish you all at VOV a very happy New Year 2015. I have no internet. I have a shortwave radio.…... [read more]